In the past decade, significant advances have been made in the area of prosthetics. Many of the advanced commercialized prostheses have been designed and manufactured using new and emerging technologies including microprocessor knees (C-leg) and bionic ankles (IWalk). These new prostheses have played key roles in improving the prosthetic patients' quality of life. However, many surveys still indicate that amputees are not satisfied with their prostheses due to discomfort and adverse effects on their skin as a result of poor fit, elevated temperatures and moisture accumulation within the prosthetic socket. Recently, efforts have been made to develop various liner materials and components/mechanisms to address these issues. However, most efforts have focused on developing components/devices to enhance individual functions. Their effectiveness has been limited due to significant weight addition and lack of integration of these devices into a holistic socket system.
Conventional prosthetic socket designs suffer from a number of deficiencies. For example, many amputees experience daily volume changes in their residual limbs which a conventional socket design cannot accommodate. These volume changes affect the fit of the socket and the quality of an amputee's life. This is particularly important in the design of above-knee sockets, since the transfemoral amputee experiences the largest anatomical volume fluctuation of any limb deficiency. While socks designed for the residual limb may be added or removed to ameliorate the problem, even the most seasoned amputees and practitioners have difficulty determining suitable sock ply adjustments. This volume change leads to a poor fit of the prosthetic and may cause instability of the residuum, resulting in pistoning of the limb within the socket which often leads to the formation of sores on the amputee's skin. Additionally, elevated temperatures inside a conventional prosthetic socket may also be detrimental to the skin, causing heat rash and maceration, which may further lead to tissue breakdown.
Thus, there is a need for new prosthetic sockets and socket systems to address these and other deficiencies of conventional prosthetic sockets.